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History of the Reat Ale Twa*ts. with Quinno
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Detail Pages
The Bow Bar, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
EH1 2HH
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve of N21 left this review about The Bow Bar
One of the pub highlights of my visit to Edinburgh. Located on one of the most spectacular streets in the Old Town, it hides behind an unassuming frontage and is easily missed, which is a good thing as most tourists do, leaving it to the knowledgeable.
If you are into traditional pubs focussing on real ale or whiskies then The Bow Bar will fit you like a well-worn pair of slippers from the moment you enter.
Inside this single room bar has no modern frills but a very traditional décor (ceiling especially) an impressive collection of old advertising mirrors, and then the magnificent original gantry on the wall behind the bar for the malts. And as Roger mentions below it still uses the Scottish tall air pressure dispensers for the real ales.
With over 150 Malts and 20+ nonstandard beers (including the keg and bottle offerings) on the relatively small serving bar, it’s a place where you are actually thankful for someone in front of you to be served, so that you have some time to take in what’s on offer. And to make it slightly easier, there are signs on the bar detailing the “malt of the day” and “the malt of the week” to aid the uninitiated. And on the beer front a wooden chalk board to the right of the bar gantry lists out all the available beers giving their ABV, price, and country of origin, so if you are after a pint this is where you should look first.
For the record Sonnet 43 Steam Beer, Out there brewing Co Valentina Pale ale, Kelburn Cart Noir, Fine Ales Highlander and Rune, Tryst Brewery Stars & Stripes and Alechemy Bohemian Pale were the ales on offer for my visit.
Could have easily stayed here all day.
On 4th August 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 2315 recommendations about 2166 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Bow Bar
There are several pubs in Edinburgh that are hard to leave out on a visit and the Bow Bar is certainly up there with them
Situated in the Old Town in the shadows of the castle, the façade is quite unassuming. The interior is small and simply furnished with the bar in the far right corner and a series of small built in shelves/tables along one side and bare floors. Much of the interior actually only dates back the 1980’s when the pub was refurbished but using reclaimed bits of other pubs that were themselves being modernized so it does still have an authentic traditional feel. There are several old pictures, adverts, old brewery mirrors, a pendulum clock and other oddities that include a cross section of the flagpole that stood at Murrayfield from 1925-1990.
The 8 ales are poured directly through air pressured taps, atraditional Scottish thing but now quite rare. The selection included Caledonian Deuchars, Stewart Edinburgh No. 3, Bragdy Conwy Shipwrreck IPA, Tempest Elemental Porter, Cairngorm Wildcat, Fyne Avalanche, Green Jack Excelsior and Brentwood Pacific Pale Ale. There is also a collection of 200+ whiskies and a very knowledgable barmaid to steer you through it all.
Naturally it can get busy but if you can bag a stool, this is a place that you can while away an entire evening. One word of warning though if you intend to visit as a group, they do not allow stag/hen parties, fancy dress or football colours and the place is all the better for it.
On 2nd November 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bow Bar
Splendid, old-fashioned (in the best sense) bar in the heart of the city but on a quiet road leading down to the Grassmarket. Plenty of interesting memorabilia on the walls. Distinctive features include the tiny tables (shaped a bit like Rich Tea finger biscuits) and the eight real ale fonts which appear to dispense under gravity. A decent selection of Scottish and English beers (approx. 50/50), with rarities such as the Black Ale from Williams Brothers Brewing at £3.10. First class, and a 'must' for beer-loving visitors to Edinburgh.
On 13th February 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 8958 recommendations about 8958 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
dragonfly xxx left this review about The Bow Bar
one of edinburghs best pubs,especialy for real ale and malt drinkers(best avoided by "trendy" alcopop drinkers)good banter and friendly staff.excellent selection of guest beers,bottled and on tap.handy if on a pub crawl in the grass market/high st
On 17th January 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 21 recommendations about 21 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Bow Bar
The Bow Bar is one of Edinburgh's best known, and best loved, real ale pubs, a regular GBG entry and justly so. The single, long bar has bare boards and a slightly Spartan feel. Always a great selection of beers on, a large selection of malt whiskies and good banter with the staff make this a pub difficult to ignore. Of note is the use of the Scottish air pressure dispense system. My last pint of Belhaven 80/- was superbly kept. Convenient for the Royal Mile and castle, this pub can be one of the highlights of any city centre crawl and one I always try to visit when I'm here.
On 8th September 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3680 recommendations about 3642 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Bow Bar
One of Edinburgh's good real ale pubs that uses the air dispense system. A little known fact/rumour is that the ever popular Caledonian Deuchars IPA was first brewed as a house beer for this pub. They regularly have around 6 ales on and have an impressive whisky selection. There was also a good array of bottles on my last visit and we just couldn't resist the 9% Orkney Porter from the Swannay Brewery, served a bit cold but very nice. The pub itself is small and very decorative with an array of brewery and railway memorabilia. Well worth a visit if in the Royal Mile/Grassmarket area.
On 17th March 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 780 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ericonabike ericonabike left this review about The Bow Bar
Excellent, unspoilt bar. Welcomes a wide-ranging clientele with a wide range of real beer. Recommended.
On 28th October 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 25 recommendations about 25 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Bow Bar
A regular haunt of mine when I worked in Edinburgh, I'm glad to see that nothing much has changed. The emphasis here is very much on vertical drinking as there aren't many seating options. The walls of the single room are full of brewery memorabilia. Eight cask ales, some served using the Scottish air dispense fonts. Always in good nick in the past and no different on this latest visit. It can get very busy with tourists on their way to the nearby Grassmarket though, so time your visit to avoid them.
On 11th June 2009
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3323 recommendations about 3233 pubs]